Hopeless
by oliver.clearwater
Summary: Yoko doesn't quite understand the relationship between Kamina and Simon, so Kamina decides to enlighten her. Onesided YokoKami. Fluffy/Slightly Angsty KamiSimo. Shonen-ai


A/N: My apologies in advance. I'm not quite used to Gurren Lagann yet (by the end of this fic I was on episode 9; I started the fic after watching episode 3 or 4, I believe), so I kind of feel like I didn't capture the characters at all xD

**Hopeless**

Though she knew the relationship between Kamina and Simon was deep-rooted and complex, Yoko constantly had to remind herself not to have ill feelings towards Simon out of jealousy. 'They're brothers.' She would remind herself in a solemn mantra whenever the two males shared the same air space.

"You have to understand; Kamina is all Simon has." Leeron would chide the fretting gunslinger frequently, patting her shoulder with what was meant to be a comforting touch. "Don't see him as a threat; see him as an important part of Kamina's life that you'll need to adjust to."

Whenever Leeron reminded her of that, however, he was always rewarded with a very sour expression.

But no matter what Leeron said, or even what Yoko told herself, the persistent, uncomfortable feeling would remain; guiding her eyes to search every touch between them for a deeper meaning.

And it was at the end of a hot, sticky day that Yoko overhead the two brothers.

Simon had been desperately tired, unable to even remove himself from Lagann, but it hadn't hindered Kamina in the least bit; no, the leader of Team Gurren swiftly collected the dozing boy from Lagann, holding him close against him. Yoko had noticed. Leeron noticed it. But only Yoko took it as something more.

"Hey, Yoko," Kamina addressed steadily, glancing over his shoulder, while his other shoulder was occupied by Simon's sleeping face, an expression only describeable as elation over Kamina's warmth instead of the cold steel of Lagann.

"Ah, yes?" Yoko sputtered, surprised at the sound of Kamina's voice; after Simon went to sleep, Kamina tended to tone it down; Yoko had begun to suspect that Kamina was only lively and confident while Simon was around to watch and admire him, because once the young ex-Jiha villager fell asleep, Kamina's energy level dropped dramatically. Which meant that Kamina would be leaving Yoko's company to sleep with the already deeply sleeping Simon.

Simon shifted in Kamina's arms, but Kamina paid him little more than a glance, his eyes locked on Yoko. "Simon wasn't looking so hot today, so I'm leaving him with Leeron for the night. Wait up for me."

Yoko's eyes grew in size, surprised that Kamina would ever put her before his precious 'little brother'. The thought of it had her heart fluttering rapidly in her chest, so much so that she feared Kamina would be able to hear. "Ah, y-yeah, okay."

Kamina nodded, leaving the flabbergasted woman staring after him.

-x-

"Are you sure?" asked a concerned Leeron, gazing down at the heap that was Simon, curled now in a blanket by the fire.

Kamina's previously serious expression melted into that of a sheepish grin. "Though I'm sure we'd both be happy staying this way, Simon has to become more independent one of these days."

"You know what I meant." Leeron pressed, a grave tone in his voice. "I know what happens to him when you're not around, so why are you doing this to him today? Is this because of Yoko?"

Just as quickly as his grin had arrived, it disappeared, realizing that he'd been caught. Nevertheless, the confidence hadn't left his hard eyes. "It's something she needs to know about. She'll never understand if she doesn't see it first hand."

A sigh passed Leeron's lips, his eyes, beneath lids colored heavily with shadow, rolling in contempt. "I guess I understand. But are you sure it only works with you? Could I try and he'd be okay, like with you?"

Kamina laughed; a bark he was forced to cut short when he glanced at a shifting Simon. "You can try if you'd like, but you're going to have an unpleasant wake-up call in the morning."

"I think I can manage." Leeron smiled, and Kamina watched with a slight unease as the mechanic slid under the blanket beside Lagann's pilot, pulling the boy into his arms. A coil of heat had begun growing in Kamina's belly, and he soon found himself averting his eyes. There was definitely unease, but it needed to be done. He was tired of explaining something so abstract to Yoko. She needed to see.

"Take care of him." Kamina warned, though it seemed to serve as more of an assurance to him, rather than a threat to Leeron, for the mechanic was drawing small cirles in Simon's unclothed chest; completely oblivious to Kamina's concern.

The action brought his teeth raking across his lower lip, unsure of whether to go through with it. This wasn't fair to him. It wasn't fair to Simon either.

Before he could come up with an excuse to drop the entire plan, promptly turned and headed towards his Gurren, where Yoko would undoubtedly be waiting for him. Kamina willed himself to decide that this glance would be his last before turning in for the night. So, glancing over his shoulder, Kamina took in Simon's sleeping form.

And then he saw the boy's face.

A furrowed brow, and a wrinkled nose.

Kamina couldn't stop the laugh that bursted forth from his lips.

-x-

Yoko habitually twisted her hair around her index finger, staring emptily out of Gurren's several cameras. She could see Kamina already, but for the simple fact that he wasn't with her yet was extremely disheartening. 'We're progressing though.' She had to remind herself, bringing her knees up against her chest for her to hug. Kamina had chosen her over Simon; her, Yoko, a woman, a stranger compared to Simon, who was a boy, Kamina's brother, the person Kamina had risked his life for. She had been chosen over someone so incredibly important to Kamina, and she took pleasure in the fact. She relished it.

"Knock knock." Came the muffled voice of Kamina from the wall before her, and she noticed that the main camera was filled with a muscled chest and broad shoulders. With little notice, Gurren's sharp metal teeth shifted apart to allow it's pilot entrance. "Sorry, I was making sure Leeron was okay with watching Simon for the night."

"It's fine." Yoko assured, though the burning in her cheeks wouldn't allow her to make a snide remark, nor attempt a joke. "I wasn't waiting very long."

"That's good." Kamina grinned, climbing into Gurren, hovering over Yoko.

"So..." The gunslinger was beginning to feel nervous; why hadn't she noticed the sexual tension she was feeling now that she and Kamina were sharing the same air space, in close proximity? The air felt so much heavier now that even breathing seemed harder; she found herself attempting to time her breathing so that he couldn't hear her rapid, excited breath. "What now?"

Kamina stretched, his back arching against the low ceiling before crawling into his 'throne', as per usual. Except for the small fact that Yoko was also taking up residency in said chair. Kamina's warm, comforting breath hit in small bursts against Yoko's forehead, and the gunslinger smiled, staring up at her blue-haired prince.

Only to see that he'd already fallen asleep.

An exasperated sigh escaped Yoko's lips and she curled herself around the man beside her.

She would have to thank Simon later for not getting in the way.

-x-

The sound was loud, the sound was closeby, and the sound was, or at least seemed, unending. It stirred Yoko immediately from her sleep, and when she glanced up in the dark light of Gurren, she saw that Kamina was already awake, staring out through the main screen of Gurren, though, Yoko noted, he didn't seem to be looking for the place of origin.

But the sound was so familiar... She knew that sound! "Kamina! That's Simon's voice! We have to go help him; what if he and Leeron were ambushed!"

To her surprise--and slight horror--Kamina showed very little concern, though he did pull himself out of her arms to climb out of Gurren. Yoko followed hurriedly behind, until they'd arrived at the makeshift trailer Leeron had built. The sound was even more horrifying now that they were closer to the source; a shrill, desperate scream, accompanied with sobbing and cries.

Why on earth would a Gunman go into the trailer to attack? Was it a rogue Beastman out for revenge? The endless questions were beginning to pile up, and Yoko couldn't stop herself from brushing past Kamina and throwing the door open.

Simon lay in Ron's arms, screaming incoherently, hysterically with his face buried in the mechanic's shoulder. Ron appeared unfazed, his hands stroking Simon's back, though the comforting action did little to calm the crying boy.

"Ron! What did you do to Simon!" Yoko demanded in horror, clenching her fist. Though she'd known Ron for the better part of her life, the idea of Ron making Simon have a screaming fit brought a bubbily anger for the mechanic.

"Don't be mad at him, Yoko." Kamina warned, crouching next to the mechanic and the screaming Lagann pilot. Nodding, Leeron gently handed the struggling boy into Kamina's arms. Kamina hugged the boy against him, and the boy ceased his struggling, though the sobbing continued, unhindered.

"I'm here, Simon." Kamina whispered against the boy's unclothed chest, hugging the boy's lower back against him, while Simon's head hovered above Kamina's, sobbing. His tears were beginning to drip onto Kamina's face, and the boy's arms were wrapping desperately around Kamina, hugging the older man's head with shaking cries.

That was when Yoko realized; the screaming. It wasn't just senseless screaming. There was one word Simon had been repeating, and hadn't stopped repeating since Yoko and Kamina had arrived, though she hadn't been able to understand at first.

"Aniki! Aniki? Aniki!"

And then Kamina did something that brought a gasp to Yoko's mouth, horrified.

Kamina extended his neck and caught Simon's lips in his. At first, Simon didn't respond at all, however, slowly but surely, the boy's crying ceased, replaced with the wet sound of he and Kamina's lips meeting and parting, exchanging saliva and dancing together.

"K-Kamina!" Yoko whispered harshly, unable to yell as she had previously been planning. "He's your brother! What are you thinking!"

"When Kamina said Simon needed him," Leeron began, rather than Kamina breaking away from Simon, who's cries had died to a small hum whenever he was given the chance to breath. "He wasn't trying to hurt your feelings, Yoko."

Yoko was fuming. This was worse than Kamina rejecting her; this was Kamina accepting her, but at the same time bringing along his little brother as baggage! "But they're--"

"They're not brothers." Leeron corrected before Yoko could repeat her same excuse for the action being rough. She glanced at the still connected at the lips boys, and saw that Kamina was smiling against Simon's trembling lips...and one of his eyes had rolled open to glance at Yoko. "Simon's an orphan, you know that. Kamina acts as Simon's big brother because without that support, Simon would crumble."

"That's right." Kamina added to verify Leeron's explaination as fact. His lips had broken away from Simon's, and the young, now calm pilot was curled under Kamina's chin, his arms wrapped about Kamina's mid-section. "It's not something I expected you to understand, Yoko."

"Then why didn't you tell me before I..." Yoko's voice broke off, and even from his position in the dark corner of the trailer, Kamina could see the angry tears forming in her eyes. He didn't, however, make any move to comfort her.

"I figured that if the feelings you have for me are real, you'd understand." Kamina said without missing a beat.

"Why can't it be someone else? Why just you? Ron doesn't mind guys; he could do it instead of you!"

"I don't think it works like that, sweetie." Leeron chided, though Yoko noticed that he looked a little disappointed. "He has a problem that I doubt either of us will every fully understand."

"Even Simon and I don't understand it." Kamina admitted, gazing at Simon's calm expression, though his cheeks were still pink from crying. "Even when the village chief would lock me up for something, he'd always be sure to bring Simon to me at night because he could never figure out how to calm him down. In the worst cases, Simon would sleep walk, and sometimes wouldn't even remember his own name until he was brought to me."

"Nightmares? Or possibly loneliness..." Leeron pondered, though it seemed to be intended for himself rather than Yoko or Kamina.

"Whatever it is," Kamina said finally, running a hand over Simon's tossled indigo hair. "I'm the only one that can help him through it."

Yoko frowned, though the anger had disappeared from her eyes. "So... You're saying I have no chance against Simon?"

The traces of Kamina's smile also disappeared, and Yoko found herself regretting the question. "I'm saying the only way this will ever work is if you understand his situation, and the circumstances."

"But...what does Simon feeling about the whole thing? Is he really okay with it? I mean, he's just a kid..." Yoko was still fishing excuses out of desperation. "How do you know he won't want more from you one day? What happens when he starts falling in love with you?"

This seemed to stop Kamina in his tracks. "Simon has no idea, and you're not going to tell him anything that happens between us when he gets like that." Kamina barked, a fist clenching at his side.

"He doesn't know about it at all?" Yoko asked in surprise, and even Leeron appeared more interested than before.

"No, and if he does, I imagine he thinks it's a dream, because he's never mentioned it before. He only acts weird in the morning if it takes a long time to calm him down." Kamina assured his two curious companions, though both seemed to have quite the questions to ask. Kamina, however, wouldn't allow it. "It's going to be morning soon, and Simon will be waking up."

"I suggest we all go to bed and pretend that nothing ever happened." Leeron proposed, stretching his arms over his head in an attempt to crack his shoulders. "It'll be better for Simon if we don't treat this as a problem."

"Yeah, but..."

"Good night." Kamina said sternly, not willing to waste anymore words on a pointless conversation. "See you in the morning."

Sullen, Yoko left the two brothers curled in each other's arms.

-x-

"Good morning, sunshine!" Leeron crooned as Yoko and Simon arrived at the fire pit where a grapeapotamos was being licked by crimson flames over the spit. "Hope you two are hungry!"

Kamina had seated himself away from the fire, his arms crossed across his chest, and, to Yoko's slight agitation, he had his eyes glued on Simon, who was admiring Leeron's cooking skills with a toothy grin. With a shrug, Yoko seated herself beside the brooding Team Gurren leader.

"I thought you said he only needed you for his crying act at night." Yoko murmured, though there was a hint of malice in her tone; she credited that with her jealousy and the lingering question of why Kamina never looked at her with those eyes.

"And I thought Ron said we should pretend it never happened for Simon's sake." Kamina retorted in a hushed voice, and to Yoko's frustration, the young man's eyes never once left Simon.

Yoko scowled. "What's he going to do when he finds a girl to settle down with, huh? How could you explain to his wife that you have to sleep with him so he doesn't go psychotic at night?"

"Shut up!" Kamina snapped, and realized far too late that he had raised his voice a little too much, for Simon and Leeron were staring in he and Yoko's direction.

"I-I'm gonna go do laundry by the river." Team Gurren's leader announced, climbing to his feet. "Simon, you come too!"

"Uh, r-right!" Simon called back, following after his 'blood brother' with bright eyes and a wagging tail.

-x-

By the time Kamina had finished the laundry by the river side, the sun had already begun to dip down below the skyline; bathing the scenary in red-orange light.

"K-Kamina, I--"

"I told you to call me 'Aniki'; I'm your Aniki." Kamina insisted with a growl.

"Aniki..."

"What is it?"

"I'm cold."

"If you're trying to ask me something, say it properly!"

"..."

"Simon?"

"A-Aniki...could you hold me?"

Kamina's eyes grew in size, stupified by the request.

"Ah, n-nevermind, sorry for asking something so stupid--"

"It's not stupid!" Kamina argued, throwing his fist at Simon's shoulder. "The only stupid question is the one you don't ask."

So, to fulfill Simon's wish, Kamina pulled Lagann's pilot into his arms.

"Aniki...I don't understand any of this."

"What's that?" Kamina inquired, his head resting upon Simon's shoulder to see the boy better. However, the only thing this accomplished was feeling the younger pilot's warmth.

"I feel weird..."

Guessing the worst, Kamina pulled away from the pilot, but before he could move away, Simon's hand grasped at Kamina's pant leg, holding him still.

"No, don't..."

"But you just said..."

"...I feel weird, but...whenever you're close it doesn't feel so bad."

"Simon..."

"Sorry..." The younger pilot jumped to his feet before Kamina could get a hold of him, leaving Kamina by the riverside.

"I thought you said he doesn't remember anything." The voice came as an unpleasant surprise to Kamina, who was feeling a total loss. Yoko didn't appear at all happy either.

"I told you he acts weird the next morning." Kamina reminded.

"So...you meant he feels attached to you because he can remember the intimacy, but not the reason." Yoko murmured more to herself than to Kamina, seating herself in the space Simon had previously been occupying.

Kamina crossed his arms across his chest but couldn't muster a reply.

"So this is affecting you more than I thought..." Yoko reflected.

"I kind of feel cheated, y'know? I'm intimate with him because he needs it, but..."

"But you can't act on it because he doesn't see you as the person who is intimate with him; he sees you as his brother." Yoko finished.

"It's not just that." Kamina argued, glaring over his shoulder at the girl. "Whenever he does open up and I have the chance to be that person in the day time, I hesitate because I don't want him to close himself off if he gets scared, but he ends up feeling awkward about it so he shies away."

Yoko lowered her head at the realization. "So either way, you're the one getting hurt."

"Don't pity me." Kamina warned, and Yoko noticed that his solemn expression had turned to a cocky grin. "I did this to myself, afterall; I never had to help him, I chose to."

Yoko sighed, leaning her head on his arm. They were two hopeless romantics.

A/N: Aaaah, don't flame. Don't forget to review!


End file.
